The Dreamers Reality
by Time.To.Vaporize.A.Maths.Teach
Summary: The PJatO and HoO series was nothing more than a dream. A dream shared simultaneously by 21desperate kids. The dream packed seven years of memories in one sleep. Countless friendships and romances. When they wake up, it slowly begins fading away, but now something has been sparked, these children are destined to meet; whether it be for the good of mankind or simply themselves.
1. Prologue

_**A/N: Hiya! My name is Ciara, for those that don't know, and this is my new story 'The Dreamers Reality'. Now, if you like it, I seriously need you to tell me, because this chapter is just being posted for the purpose of seeing if it is liked. If it is, I will start updating, although not too frequently as I have other stories.**_

_**Tell me what you think of my original twist on the PJatO and HoO series'.**_

_**Disclaimer; Nope, don't own!**_

* * *

They had done it.

They had successfully defeated Gaia.

Five minutes of shocked silence passed through the warriors. Between Demigod and god-both minor and major.

Then cheers erupted from them.

Loud cheers that put an entire country trying to attempt the same volume to shame.

The Seven stood by the Olympians; the loudest of all.

"Percy!" Annabeth yelled and ran to him, he picked her up and spun her around the second she was in arms reach. They laughed joyously, tears brimming their eyes. He put her down and she kissed him repeatedly, never feeling this happy before.

Jason stood a good length in front of Reyna and Piper. He had to choose, him and Piper had been rocky from her lack of trust and rightly so.

He took a breath and decided.

He ran to her and kissed her to show her how he felt.

"Jason!" Piper whispered as she clung to him, he felt tears wetting his shirt, but she sounded so happy-no, elated was the word. But he felt relief, he had made his choice, but he looked at Reyna and he felt as if he were seeing clear for once in his life. He saw Reyna crying too, silently, the only way for a daughter of Bellona to cry. He saw how she truly felt about him and his heart wrenched and he saw this was more than just choosing a camp; it was about choosing who his heart belonged.

And something told Jason he had chosen wrong. Oh, so wrong.

Hazel and Frank were kissing to celebrate when the saw Reyna... She was crying. She was letting her walls crumble. She was giving up and Jason was the reason. Roman pride flared in them and they stormed to Reyna and began comforting her. But before they took her away, the two glared ferociously at Jason, making him shudder. Because their eyes burned with something a million times as pain-strickening and powerful than Greek fire: betrayal.

The two escorted Reyna away and helped her, a positive of Reyna's walls coming down was that she openly laughed and was more relaxed; she no longer cared and she had never felt better in her entire life.

Clarisse was cheering with her siblings when she noticed HIM. Chris Rodriguez.

She felt stomach churn, but it was a nice feeling. She smiled at him and dropped her weapons and ran to him. He began to run to her as well. The embraced one another on the battlefield and grinned like crazy people and couldn't give a damn even if they tried, they were too tired.

Chris pulled away and looked at Clarisse. He took a deep breath. "Clarisse... I.. I-uh-I.. I-" he stuttered, not knowing how to finish the sentence, but was promptly cut off by Clarisse.

"I think I love you!" Clarisse exclaimed, blushing wildly.

Chris went wide-eyed and said "I think I love you too" and kissed her.

Leo was dancing around with Stolls, being their usual selves. "Ha! I told Old Dirt Face I'd punch her Leo-style!"

"That was epic! The way we tangled her in Imperial God and Celestial Bronze. And so fast!" Connor bragged, high-fiving Leo.

"I'd to see someone bet that record time!" Travis gloated and popped the imaginary collar of his camp shirt. Then his smug expression faltered. "Katie-I-I mean Camp! We need to see how they are!" Travis actually sounded worried and was blushing because of his slip-up.

Leo and Connor smirked triumphantly and snickered, "ooh-ooh! Okay then Travis we'll Iris-Message Katie-I-I mean Camp to make sure that she-I-I mean they are perfectly safe!" Connor mimicked his brother tauntingly, making him blush brighter.

Leo borrowed a drachma off a Hecate girl and the three went over to a broken water pipe.

"O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, please accept our offering." They all chanted and chucked the drachma into the mist. "Katie Gardner. Camp Half-Blood." They ordered together.

It showed her. She was a mess. Dirt and tree branches and blood in her hair. Tattered clothing. Wounds and scratches covered her body. Bags were under her eyes and her voice was hoarse when she exclaimed: "You're alive!? That's brilliant!" So all in all, at the moment she was a sight for sore eyes, yet Travis stilled stuttered and blushed.

"Y-yeah, we-urm-we are! Defeated Gaia a-as we-well!" He looked at the two boys chuckling next to him loudly, his eyes pleading them to help as he began ramble nonsense

Leo nodded. "We're fine! How are you?"

"Just defeated our last monster, no one died, either, thank the gods! Most are severely wounded, though." Katie explained then two figures ran into view: Juniper and Grover. They had heard the conversation and grinned like they had won the lottery.

"You won!" Grover shouted, more than just happy to hear the news; the glorious news. "Are Percy and Annabeth...?" Leo looked a bit confused he didn't ask about everyone but the Stoll brothers understood him perfectly.

"They are safe and sound! Battered and bruised.. Bit damaged, but alive and well!" Travis and Connor announced happily. Not mentioning that the 'bit damaged' part referred to the two being in Tartarus. Everyone knew they weren't the same. For one they no longer depended on each other for just support and friendship, but now it was much more serious. Something had happened and now they depended on one another like a drug and if they were separated they would die. "They're with Nico and Thalia right now so best leave 'em to it."

Connor got a mischievous smirk on his face and whispered something in Leo's ear that made him grin that trademark elfish grin of his. Connor cleared his throat, "I just remembered that Travis had something really important to tell Katie, so let's go Leo!" Connor shouted then ran off with Leo.

"Let's give them their privacy" Juniper said to Grover and Travis swore the couple smirked at him before they ran off to help in whatever way they could.

"So... What did you want to tell me?" Katie questioned and Travis couldn't help but notice the beauty she radiated even in her current state and how the earth around her reacted to her presence and practically shone with vibrant colours and life. The way she smiled with her white, although slightly crooked teeth. (She refused to get braces and he was secretly glad because he thought it made her even more beautiful).

"Urm... N-nothing real-" he cut himself off and mentally slapped himself. "-Actually, no, it is something!" He said boldly, his confidence building

Katie quirked an eyebrow and simply said, "go on."

He breathed in deeply and came out with it. "I really like you Katie, seriously! I like you so much it hurts, I feel like every time I think of you or see you my heart will just push itself out of my chest. I don't mind because it hurts in a nice way and you always make me smile and laugh so I can never concentrate on the pain. But... I feel like my heart tries to push itself out of my chest because... Because... It doesn't belong to me anymore. It is yours to keep, break of use as a little vase for whatever flower you see fit- but really you would put poison ivy and wild daisies in it because those are your favourite plants- oh, getting off topic... But, Katie... I just wan'na say, I what I've wanted to say for two years now is.. I honestly and truly lo-..." Travis faltered involuntarily, not without noticing the stunned and blushing face of Katie Gardner, who was hoping he would finish his sentence. He yawned. He felt tired and was started to sway because of it. He looked around and saw everyone else swaying again except the gods and Chiron doing the same-the gods and Chiron were... Fading?

Travis fell to the ground and everyone followed suit. Travis saw Juniper and Grover collapse in each other's arms. The same went for Clarisse and Chris and Percy and... Annie? Anna? Bethany? He was forgetting things... Who was the guy Clari... Uh.. Clary? Yeah, that was her name. Who the guy under her?

He was forgetting everything as his eyelids slowly grew heavier and heavier until he was left with only two names: Katie and Connor.

"Travis..." Katie mumbled. She fought falling asleep. "Whas happ'nin?" Katie was beginning to slur, losing the battle.

She fell asleep. Everyone did. Percy fell with Annabeth on top of him and Nico and Thalia next to them, his grip loose but protective. Piper fell asleep with Leo next to her. Connor fell asleep ten metres from Travis and-technically-Katie in mid-run. Hazel and Frank fell asleep hugging Reyna in a comforting manner, just as Jason had gripped Reyna's shoulder to talk to her.

And Travis and Katie fell asleep without being able to tell the other they loved them.

But the Demigods didn't go in silence. Before they fell into eternal sleep. No. As they drifted off they heard these. words, uttered by Old Dirt Face herself: 'Sleep tight, my little ones, for it is time for you to face your hardest challenge, the one you have been avoiding for so long: Reality" and she cackled softly, which was like a twisted lullaby to their ears.

* * *

Twelve year-old Perseus Jackson woke with a start. His alarm clock was blaring loudly. He slammed his hand down on the snooze button in his shock. Cold sweat dripped down his face, his eyes were wide and clouded-but not dazed, no, he was wide awaken, much like his roommate and best and only friend at Yancy Academy, fifteen year-old Grover Underwood, who had been held back a grade for three years. Percy and Grover turned to each other and then at the alarm clock which read 5:45. They had to get ready for lessons... But that dream.

"You were in my dream... I-I think," Percy blurted out and cursed his ADHD.

Grover nodded, quickly reaching for his inhaler to calm him down, stroking the sweat off of his acne-covered face. "I think we shared the same dream... What do you remember?" He questioned, curious and confused as to how they had the same dream.

Percy sighed and shrugged after thinking hard. The details were so fuzzy now, fading so quickly. But he could remember how real it had felt. It was so vivid and... And yet he couldn't remember anything about it. He sighed again in frustration. "No..."

"Same here" Grover grumbled in annoyance. "Well almost..." he saw the eager look Percy gave him. "I am pretty sure that the dream went through six or seven years of our lives... It's nothing much but, still..." Percy nodded.

"Let's get ready for school, the trip to the museum is today and Mr. Brunner is taking us." That was the first thing Percy said, everything else became little rambles but he couldn't stop himself. He hated having ADHD and Dyslexia. But it was who he was.

That stirred something.

He was certain his ADHD and Dyslexia made him a good person in his dream-a hero!

"Wishful thinking..." He grumbled distastefully.

Perseus Jackson was no hero. He was a mistake. He had a school report that would make Billy the Kid gape with shock. He couldn't pass a test. Neither he nor Grover would be staying another year at Yancy, today was their last day. They were nobody.

Nobody important, at least.

* * *

The cold New York air hit twelve year-old Annabeth Chase, seventeen year-old Thalia Grace and nineteen year-old Luke Castellan like a ton of bricks. Much like Percy and Grover, they woke ruler-straight against the back alleys brick wall, with cold sweat sticking to their face. The only person that was different was Annabeth who had tears streaming down her face. Thalia and Luke quickly checked to see what was wrong. She couldn't stop crying. Her dream was beyond being remembered... Almost. One part stood clear in her mind.

"Yo-y-you left me! Both o-of you!" Annabeth almost wailed. She cried, referring to Luke joining the Titans and Thalia joining the Hunters. She couldn't stand the thought of losing them. It was too much, she turned her attention fully on Luke, "a-and you betra-betrayed meh-me!" Her eyes were red. It was only a dream, sure, but it had felt so true, so vivid and the emotions... They still felt so... _Raw_.

Thalia and Luke looked at each other. They only remembered the same parts Annabeth did and was crying about. They understood why she was upset, but they didn't feel the emotions as raw as Annabeth, but in the look they shared one emotion was shared: guilt. They had left her and they had promised they never would. Dream or not, they had broken their promise and it had obviously hit a nerve in Annabeth. They hugged her tightly, which was easy since she was she was tucked in the middle of the two, so she got the most warmth. They hugged her comfortingly until the cries became little sniffles and then silence. Annabeth looked up at them with red eyes and reminded them she was still little Annie. Their little Annie.

"S-sorry..." Annabeth mumbled, slowly becoming embarrassed at crying. "I should have learnt to be stronger than that by now."

"Hey-ey..." Luke said sweetly, chuckling slightly, trying to make her feel better, "It's not your fault, your dream hit a nerve; don't worry. You're only twelve, you are allowed to be a kid, and kids aren't meant to keep everything bottled up." He looked at her sternly but brotherly.

"Yeah, Annabeth, do you think just because you are homeless means you can't be a kid? You have to grow up quicker, sure, but you can't just ignore your actual age..." Annabeth nodded. "Let's try getting some more sleep, since it's still dark, and later... We'll talk about why we shared a dream and maybe we'll... Treat ourselves." Luke and Annabeth nodded in agreement but the air around them changed slightly. They knew what 'treating' themselves meant. There was only one way that kids that had been homeless for almost five years together could treat themselves. They would have to steal something.

They got comfortable on the rough ground, Thalia hid her face from view whilst Annabeth snuggled her head onto Thalia's shoulder and Luke tucked his bright blonde hair into his black ski cap.

They were asleep for a few minutes when they heard a grown man shout, "Oi Martin! We have some fresh meat in our spot!" The big oaf growled.

His friend, Martin, came over and snarled like a rabid dog. "Yer right! I can see the little 'uns blonde hair!" By now the three were up and were ready to run for it. Their coats had gone from blankets to on them, giving them warmth and backpacks were slung over their shoulders.

The two oafs were balding, spotty and their faces disfigured from many fights. Both were about six foot. They had clothing barely holding together at the stitches. They had been on the streets for twenty years, at least. And alcohol and drugs had obviously been their downfall. Their eyes were glazed in a way that exclaimed they were just sobering up from beer.

That saved the trio. They ran at speed and knocked into the two drunkards with force, dazing them long enough to get a safe distance away from the two. After a while of running, just to make sure they were safe, they stopped, panting.

Thalia grabbed Annabeth's shoulders softly and managed to say in between breaths: "We need–to... To–get you–a hat to hide–...hide your–hair." She smiled as Annabeth nodded in agreement and brushed she her hand through the twelve year olds' hair, which was greasy and filled with grime, much like her own. Luke saw this and checked his watch.

"It's twenty past six... The swimming centre doesn't open 'til eight... I could pick the locks to the showers," he offered and Annabeth nodded earnestly and so they began walking.

They decided to let Annabeth calm down fully herself. Her dream had startled her to silence, but they knew she would be okay soon. It was strange walking around in silence. They had ADHD and Dyslexia so silence usually wasn't in the cards... But, although they wouldn't admit it, the dream had shocked them too.

* * *

Juniper Olivia Edwards woke up coughing violently. Her vision was blurred for the first few seconds but when it cleared she saw a familiar sight: her families Greenhouse, which they only had because of her constant begging. She was lead on the rough, dry soil floor, surrounded by all sorts of tropical plants, her pride and joy. But she was lead next to the Juniper bush, which the Greenhouse had been built around. She loved it, not just because they shared the same name, but because it was beautiful and her little piece of rebellion. Juniper was a major Environmentalist. Her parents owned a oil rig company. The juniper and the Greenhouse was a reminder of what they were ruining and-although they would never admit it-stood against. Juniper sat up straight and gathered her bearings. She was swearing cold sweat. She shivered. She then felt weight in both hands. She looked down and saw that in her left hand was a colourful glass tube: her bong. In her right was a stub of rolled up piece of paper with a few green shavings falling out onto her pale hand: weed. She winced but smiled at the same time at the usual sight. Nothing about this situation was new.

Except for once she had dreamt. She could barely recall the dream. But that was new. She never had dream. When got high, her mind blanked and she had peace for those sleeping hours, nothing running through her mind to agitate her or put her on edge. She knew she had never dreamt because she got high every night.

Then the second surprise of the day came when her father came yelling for her, when she should have expected that; it happens every-gods damned-day.

"Juniper!" He shouted, making morning birds squeak in surprise and fly away in fright. "Your breakfast is ready!"

She thought he would leave there but he kept walking. Now we come to the second reason Juniper loved the juniper bush: it was perfect for hiding her weed stash and bong. She was on her knees as she stashed them away again and grabbed the watering can she always put next to. , because this was her routine: Get high two hours before going to sleep on the Greenhouses ground (check). Wake up a few minutes before her prat of a dad called her in for breakfast so she quickly hid her bong and weed (check, check and check). Then she would pretend she got up early to water the plants, earning a scoff and snide look from her father, followed by a uncomfortable breakfast, a quick shower then running to school, making it ten minutes early (pending, but guaranteed). Then she would get worked up at school, come home to have a argumentative tea thus making the cycle start again.

She started water the juniper just as her father walked in.

"Juniper." He said in a monotone. "Did you not hear me? Your–mother–wants–you. Stop playing with your pathetic little plants and follow me." Juniper got up and followed him. When he did something that varied from the routine. He sniffed the air around his daughter. Her breath hitched. "You stink... It's disgusting, what is that stench?" He questioned forcefully.

"The plants father. I have some new ones- really rare ones called Lilacus Mortenious," she was lying on the spot and was impressed with herself. "They have a special scent-beautiful, I think it to be. They are beautiful, so vibrate and delicate and..." she trailed off under fathers' cold gaze. She cut to the chase. "That's what you smell." She mumbled, her head held low.

Her father sighed and opened the patio doors that to the dining hall. Like I said, Juniper's parents own a oil rig company. So they are wealthy. They and Juniper live in a mansion, and that is to say Juniper's Greenhouse is the size of a small apartment.

Juniper sat down and scoffed her breakfast down. Juniper didn't need a mirror to know the differences between her and her parents: her parents were decked out, head-to-toe, in designer gear and expensive perfume. They were neat as they were impeccably dressed. Hair styled so stiff it could break a brick and make-up done perfectly. Juniper was: in a tatty old tie-dyed summer dress, mud and twigs in her hair and nails, hair like a tornado, cuts and bruises from sleeping on soil, no make-up and a glazed look in her eye just fading.

"Really?" Her mother perked up. "You are eating so fast? Honestly? I would have expected you to be anorexic, considering how fat you are." She laughed and Juniper just shoved more food in her mouth. She finished quickly and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and blew her nose into the hand napkin to show her mother. To rub it in more, on her way out her stole a piece of toast of her mothers' plate and chewed with an open mouth, smirking inwardly as her mothers' left eyes twitched in irritation.

After her shower, she got ready and left the house, cursing her mother and father. She suffered school and came back home-she didn't have any friends to hang out with. She did her homework, which she had done a year ago. Not because she was smart, but because she was the opposite, she had been held back a year because of it.

Tea time and the conversation occurred again.

"NO! I am not taking over the company! It goes against all my morals!" Juniper yelled, slamming her fork down on the plate.

Her parents scoffed and laughed at her. "Morals and money aren't related in the least!" Her mother pointed out. "But, if your morals are more important, you will just grow up selling your body to whoever shows you cash, even though you're hideous, just so you can make the rent on you skanky little apartment in a dodgy area." Juniper got annoyed at that and burst.

"No need to tell me the story of how you met dad, mother!" She practically snarled at her and stormed out of the house and into the Greenhouse.

Then the routine varied itself again. She didn't reach for her weed without a second thought, she hesitated...

And she remembered.

Well, she remembered a boy, a bit older than her, but he was fuzzy. She could just make out a bit of a beard, a Rasta cap, pale skin and warm brown eyes. They are quite specific details but they still didn't make an actual person, yet Juniper felt her face heat up at the memory.

She shook her head and lit her joint, pulling her bong out next to her.

She doesn't dream that night.

* * *

Katie Ivy Gardner woke up as if she had been prodded with an electric stick. She rolled off her bed in shock and sweating, grabbing her beeping alarm clock by accident and ripping the wires out of it as she pulled it downwards with her.

"Cra-ah-ah-puh!" She whispered, because she was winded from the fall. She realised what had happened and quickly got up and unplugged the alarm clock wires, to avoid a fire.

Or maybe I should let the Hell Hole burn to ash, Katie though sadistically, tempted to plug it back in and see the result.

"Katie! Breakfast is ready!" Katie smiled, it was her step-mother Victoria. She had had Victoria as a mother since she was seven, when her mother died of an undiagnosed illness, and her three step-siblings since she was eight and ten. She was twelve now, about to turn thirteen in a month and four days: the twenty-ninth of May. Katie got dressed and combed her hair. She loved nature so her bedroom design basically put Narnia to shame. Wisteria hung from the roof with fairy lights intertwined. Intricate designs of forests and the nature within them were artist-worthy. She had a talent. Give her a human to draw and it will look like a stickman has been run over by a military tank... But give her paper, a pencil and a flower to draw... She can draw it from memory.

The room was dark yet vibrant and filled with life. The complete opposite to me, Katie thought once again, the voice in her head bitter and envious.

She shook her head and watered her plants. She had an attic room with a big window that almost went the entire length of the wall and a small skylight on her roof so light and so fresh air and getting sunlight for her plants was no problem when she opened her window.

When she finished, she poured some water in the plant pot that was secured on to the wall next to her door. That water was sucked up into the pipe that went up the wall and connected to safe and small sprinkles that watered the soil for the Wisteria and she knew that the Wisteria on the roof would get watered. She and Victoria had fit the watering system in when she was ten when her father was out. She didn't understand the physics of it all, but Victoria was a physicist at the local college, so she knew what she was doing, obviously, the Wisteria was still alive and well.

Katie shook herself out her delaying mind set and sighed. She dusted her hands and went downstairs dreading what would happen. She felt her calm mood disappear her feet touch the last of stairs that lead to the attic. Her fidgeted with her left hand and felt her breathing get harder and harder to do. Her eyes stung already and she wasn't even in the kitchen yet!

When she entered the dining room the room when silent. The twins, Ivory and Trystan, who were five now and Tammy who was two grinned at their older sister and shouted for them to sit next to them. Katie glanced at Victoria, who looked at her with apologetic eyes and shook her head ever-so subtly. That meant her father was in a bad mood today and sitting next to her siblings was a no-go. Like every day, even when her dad was happy.

"Sorry, kids, I can't today, maybe tomorrow." She said with a happy voice that fooled Tammy but Ivory and Trystan frowned.

"You're never allowed to sit with us!" Victoria and Katie were shocked by Trystan's use of "not allowed". He knew it wasn't Katie's choice.

"Yeah!" Ivory joined in. "Does mummy or daddy not let you?" Again there was no response, only shocked expressions.

"Well?" The twins inquired sternly after silenced reigned for so long.

Katie was almost glad when he father walked in. With five breakfast plates.

As usual, he set one at his seat, one at Victoria's place, two in front of the twins and one for Tammy.

Katie sat down, expected to eat air or something. Her father sat down with a grin on his face looking at his face but he could have given a demon a run for its money with the look of thunder on his face when he saw Katie.

"Well, if it isn't our little freeloader!" He spat, literally, and Katie was glad she didn't have any food, it would have been soaked by the rain of spit that came from her father's mouth. "Why are still here!?"

Usually she was quiet, she let her father rant when they were alone then she would walk out the house, tears falling silently...

Wait. Her father _never_ yelled in front of the other kids!

Her father continued about what a bitch Demeter was for running away and leaving him with her needy little cow of a daughter.

You see, Demeter died when Katie was six and her father had loved both her and Demeter so much and doted on them so much as well... But when Demeter died, something snapped in her father. He changed. He acted fine in front of everyone but then, when it was just them, he let loose, yelled and screaming and crying at her. Abusing her only mentally, but the words hit her like a strong fist. She began to suffer from depression and mood swings. She could control the mood swings, kind of, but the depression was a different story all together. But, that aside, when he remarried to Victoria when she was seven he changed again, not for the best, either. He acted like Katie no longer existed. He wasn't fully sane anymore, Katie knew that. She knew because he had convinced himself that Demeter had been a friend of a friend that needed somewhere to stay and hated her daughter, so ran away and left him to deal with her.

Katie _was_ his daughter! She knew it, she wasn't thick.

She also knew he did love Victoria and his three children he had with her; so did she. But she also knew that even though Victoria loved him back, she stayed with him for Katie's' sake. Victoria didn't want harm to come to the poor girl and she knew that she was the only thing helping Allan Gardner stay sane-well, more so than if she wasn't around.

But something else knocked Katie off guard: she remembered her dream. Well she remembered two figures, which were blurry but looked similar so you could tell they were related, and she remembered their voices, although they were slightly distorted, shouting: "Go on Katie-Kat! Give the old fudger Hades!" They laughed happily and cheered her on.

Katie actually smiled. She hadn't done that for so long.

It didn't shock just her; Victoria looked at her and her father faltered.

"What are you smiling about?" He demanded.

Katie's confidence grew and she smirked, "oh, y'know, just remember how nice it is to NOT be crazy and love my sane-ness. Seriously though, I am curious, what's the weather like in the pits of despair not even being able to acknowledge your own daughter!?" She yelled at him, her eye stinging but staying dry.

Her father glared at her. "I. Am. NOT. Crazy." He shouted back, but didn't look sure. "Why would you think such a thing?"

"Oh, because only a crazy person yells and swears at their own flesh and blood in front of their wife and other children, thinking they are both in private with their flesh and blood and thinking they are sane!" Katie twisted smirk and sadistic look in her eyes made for a terrifying picture, even her father shudder.

Her father stood still and looked around, as if only seeing his-now- cowering children and wife. He looked shocked and glared a Katie and yelled, "What did you do to them!?"

Katie stormed in the kitchen and climbed on the kitchen worktop counter and reached to the top of a cupboard and grabbed a small white capsule bottle. She pulled it to her and twisted the lid off and tipped three chalky white tablets into her hand. She returned the bottle to its original place and jumped to the floor. She got herself a glass of water her and swallowed down one tablet. An Anti-Depressant.

The reason she stole three was because it was too risky to take another from the bottle at evening and the other was... Well her in between pill in case the day got too hard. It wasn't always a necessity, but it was good to have when it was; which was most days, unfortunately. She didn't know how many you were meant to have but she thought two were fine. Three... She was wary about it but when she needed it, her safety was the last thing on her mind.

The word 'stole' made her grimace. That was how she got the drugs. She stole them, went into the pharmacy, hid them under her coat and stole them.

She choked back tears as she fought bad memories. She pulled her left jumper sleeve up and saw a crisscross of symmetrical scars. She took a deep breath and put the other two in a plastic bag.

She walked out of the kitchen and dining room in silence, put the plastic in her school bag and walked out. Feeling weak still but... Those voices had given her some extra strength. A corner of her lip quirked slightly as she began her journey to school.

* * *

"AAAHHH!" Travis and Connor Stoll woke up yelling. Quiet wasn't their style, if truth be told. They ignored the chorus of 'SHUT THE EFF UP YOU LITTLE GITS-' and tuned out to everyone but themselves. So happy that they shared a room that could only fit two in, so they had privacy.

They were breathing heavily and drench in sweat. Their eyesight was blurry for about three minutes and when it cleared the first thing they did was jump out of their beds and run to each other.

"Are you okay?" They asked in unison, clearly worried about the other.

"Yeah, I am," they responded.

They sighed in relief, then Connor, the younger of the two by a year and was twelve, halted for a minute. "Travis... You're tearing up... Why?" Connor would have usually laughed about this moment of weakness Travis was showing... But he just knew not too. "What's wrong?" He asked in a concerned tone.

"I... Uh... I don't know... The dream... So real," Travis mumbled. There was an evident look of regret on his face.

"I know... Mine was too... You were there... And this girl... There were other people, blurry. The girl seem important..." Connor admitted.

Travis nodded. "Same here... The girl... Was really important to dream me, I think... I think I was going to tell her something really important..." Travis looked sad again. "Gods I feel thick. I am getting attached and worked up for a girl I blimin' dreamt up!"

Connor patted his thirteen year-old brothers' shoulder. "Don't feel embarrassed, any and every dream is better than this reality." Connor pointed out. People thought that the two boys were stupid because they had ADHD and Dyslexia. They didn't take anything seriously and acted dumb. They were quite smart and were very loyal friends if you earned their trust.

They were sweet boys underneath it all and didn't deserve the life they had. Their dad had left when they were two and three and so their mother-their kind, sacrificing, loving, brilliant mother-worked extra hour, moonlighted and did a lot more they wish she hadn't to support them. Then, things started looking up. Their mum got a promotion and they could move out of their damp and disgusting apartment into an actual house. One day, when they were six and seven, their mother had taken them to the bank to get approval to get a loan to buy a house. That day there had been a bank shooting. The robbers ran in and everyone hid. Except for Connor's and Travis's mother and a little six year-old blonde girl with tan skin and grey eyes. The boys had noticed her a few minutes before and Travis had been teasing Connor about having a crush on her. They had seen her with her family: her dad and an Asian woman they decided was her step-mother and two little twin boys that were about three. Her family had hid and left her! Travis and Connors blood boiled at that but stayed hidden, knowing their mother would make everything nice again. The girl refused to hide, saying she wasn't a coward like her father and step-mother. The mother said she wasn't a coward either.

The shooters aimed at the girl and threatened to shoot the girl if they weren't given what they wanted. The little girl said whoever gave into their demands for her sake would be hurt by her for being stupid.

No one had moved.

The shooter looked sorry at the girl.

He shot.

And the girl stood her ground... Until Travis and Connor Stolls' mother had taken the bullet. It went straight through her head and she died instantly. The brains and blood of their mother splattered all over the little girl just as the police arrived and helped the little girl.

Later on, when they had been put into the Virginia Town Orphanage, some people said it was the girls' fault that their mother had died. Others said that their mother died because no one was brave enough to help them, even the little girls' family.

In the end the found something good out of their mothers death. She had died a hero protecting a girl of the new generation with the same bravery as her-and the bravery they shared was a rare thing. She wasn't just protecting that girl, she was protecting every person that the little girl would grow up and defend and protect. A little girl whose name remains a mystery to them even now.

They checked the clock: 6:14 am.

"Let's just get ready for school, lil' brother" Travis said, smiling. "Maybe we can swap lessons again today and see if the teachers figure it out." The two laughed.

"Okey Doke bro," Connor agreed. "But tonight we need to figure out what that dream meant." He pointed out and Travis nodded in agreement.

* * *

Silena Beauregard woke up gasping for air. As if she hadn't breathed in a while.

Tears stung her dry eyes and she coughed loudly.

_Charlie!_ she thought, worried about his safety. She grabbed her silk dressing gown and ran across the apartment, from the living room to his room and found him in a similar yet slightly worse state than her.

"Charlie!" She almost squealed in relief, she ran over to him and hugged him tightly. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"Ye-Yeah." Charles Beckendorf wheezed, "Just having my oxygen cut off by my best friend!" He chuckled as Silena immediately pulled away, blushing and looking embarrassed.

"Sorry," she mumbled. Then she remembered. "I died in my dream! It was horrible. It was so real and vivid but... But... I-I cannot remember much... But I think I died because I betrayed people! It was horrible!" Silena was crying now as she blurted it all out and it was Charles' turn to hug her. "I was horrible! Am I horrible, Charlie?" The question caught Charles off guard. He looked her in the eyes and said:

"Silena, you are the single most kindest and giving and forgiving person I know; you can't go two minutes if we pass a homeless person before you run back and give him your lunch money! I wish I was like you," he finished. Comforting his best friend was all that mattered to him right now.

People still thought it was an odd match: the schools most popular girl and Head Cheerleader, Silena Josie Beauregard, being friends with one of the least popular people, the wood worker Charles Michel Beckendorf. That wasn't the only difference between them: Silena was a rich heiress to her father's Chocolate and Sweet shop franchise 'Ooh-La-Lovely'. Charles was a poor seventeen year-old that tried to make rent on his crappy apartment with job he barely made it on time for after school and Silena giving him money and threatening him to take. Hey, he hated it because he had pride, but as said before: Silena was extremely kind-hearted-especially towards hers friends. She was also extremely determined so saying 'No', Charles figured out quickly, was not an option. That girl was gorgeous and beautiful and cute... But she was also lethal when required.

Charles only lived in his crap apartment because his dad had disappeared before his birth and his mum had died of Cancer just before he turned sixteen. The court decided sixteen was old enough to care for himself but he had to meet with a social worker until he was eighteen.

They had their similarities as well, mind you. Both of them grew up with only one parent and wanted something different for their lives. They both had ADHD and Dyslexia and Charles had actually been held back a year because of it, so he was in all of sixteen year-old Silena's classes. They loved each other's differences and similarities.

They had been friends since Nursery and nothing could split them up.

Nothing would ever do that to them.

Charles listened to Silena mumble about her vague dream and realised something: "We had the same dream! I barely remember it... But we shared a dream... I think I died in mine as well." He exclaimed, shocking Silena.

"Wha-? No, that's not fair! You shouldn't have died! You're too sweet!" Silena argued. She ignored how they shared a dream to be angry at the dream for killing him off.

"Probably couldn't live without you, Silly," Silena smiled at her nickname. Girls called Selena got Selly, she got christened Silly and loved it. The dream was fading so fast they couldn't remember their deaths came in the complete opposite order.

"Ditto, Charlie, just for real life future reference," Silena assured him, grinning, then frowned. "I remember somebody, kinda... A boy... He was the last person I saw before... Uh... Waking up." Silena avoided the 'D'-word. "He was blurry, I think but... He had green eyes and pale-ish skin... And... That's all I can remember." She looked at Charles-only she was allowed to call him Charlie.

He frowned. "He had black-dark brown hair, right?"

Silena gasped, "Yeah! He did!"

"We saw the same guy before dying."

"Oh... Oh... Oh my!" Silena exclaimed, worried. "It's six twenty! We have twenty five minutes to get ready and get to school!" She ran to Charles' wardrobe and picked out his clothes quickly then reached for summer dress and sandals. She stayed at his apartment so much that they halved the wardrobe and Charles' neighbours thought they were and on-and-off couple with how she came and went.

She was walking to the door to go to the bathroom when she turned and surveyed the outfit she had chosen for him. "I can trust you to choose your socks and undies, right?" She laughed and smirked as her best friend went bright red as her most flirtatious lipstick at the mention of 'undies'. "I'll sit with you at lunch today and when can talk about our dream!" She said.

"Wh-wha-? You have to sit with the cheerleaders, it's the rules! I don't want you to get in trouble." He protested, earning a glare from Silena.

"Charlie! You are my friend, I am meant to get in trouble with and for you!" Silena pointed out. "And anyone who has a problem with that will either speak or forever hold their peace... Those that speak will have their tongues ripped out and wrapped into bows and stuck to my pretty new Gucci bag! And that warning extends to you too, Charlie." She finished with a winning smiled and walked off, not awaiting a response.

Charlie tried to convince himself that the butterflies in his stomach were because he was nervous about Silena's threat-NOT because the most gorgeous goodie-two shoes in existence was prepared to break the rules for his sake.

_She's your friend; not your crush. She's your friend; not your crush. She's your friend; not your crush!_ he chanted the mantra over and over in his head.

* * *

"Punsh ye in de fash Leo-Style!" Ten year-old Leo Valdez-McLean mumbled as he was dazed and shocked from his sleep.

"Pandaroo!" Ten year-old Piper McLean yelled, sitting up straight so fast her back hurt. She looked around the room she shared with her adoptive brother, Leo... "What the heck just happened?" She asked.

Leo's eyes cleared and he scratched his head "Dunno, sis. But my dream was so weird... Well I only remember punching some mud giant in the nose and that it felt so... So real!" He sighed sadly. "But I can't remember any more than that... God that sucks!" He grumbled and got up, only wearing a pair of Cookie Monster boxers, which Piper laughed at them.

"Aw!" She cooed. "Hash wittle Leo gwown into a big bwoy?" She cackled at him and he grabbed his manly black dressing gown and glared at her.

"Shut it, I may not have a lot of things, but I definitely I have more of a chest than you sis." He smirked at her then grabbed some clothes and went across the hall to get changed in the bathroom, ignoring Pipers' gasp.

It was true though. Poor Piper was a late bloomer and grew her hair, although it was choppy from playing hairdresser with Leo when they were bored a few months back, and wore skirts and never jeans to assure people she was a girl, not a eight year-old boy.

The two were alone together a lot because their dad was either at auditions or at the restaurant he worked in. It was his dream to make it in Hollywood and was just gone thirty two, so he still could. That is why they lived in a small studio apartment in L.A.

Leo and Piper didn't have a mum or mother figured. Piper's mum, Aphrodite, left when she guessed that Tristan McLean, her dad, would never make it- the cow was so superficial!

But before she left, when Piper was just going eight, Aphrodite and Tristan told her they were approved and were now adopting a brother for her and four months later she had Leo Valdez as a brother, and shared the same birthday. He was a scarred kid. His dad had left and his mother had been killed in a garage fire. She was a mechanic and let Leo come with her to the garage she worked at. One night they had stayed late and as they left, his mum remembered she had forgot her car keys. When she went back in the door jammed and they didn't know the gas oven had been left on and a fire started and she was trapped in.

Aphrodite left not long after they had Leo, Piper thinks it's because she wanted Piper to have someone that would always be her friend, because every religions' gods knew how hard it was for her to do that.

Piper was of Cherokee descent and it showed: she had a dark brown skin tone with hazel eyes that had tinges of blue which were a soft oval shape, almost and countless freckles. She wasn't ugly, cute was the word for her. But she was tired of being 'cute' but her boyish figure didn't give a damn. She acted like she didn't care when Piper got crushes so fast-too fast-on boys at school, though they never even glanced at her. She let herself get used when paired up with them for a project, they would ask her to do the work and she didn't argue. It always ended the same: Leo catching her doing the project at midnight, pummel it or rip it to pieces, do one with Piper himself and on the day the projected had to be handed in, Leo would give him the destroyed project then Piper and Leo would tell the teacher that the guy had felt ill and couldn't do it with Piper, so they did one together and he did his own.

She loved Leo to bits for protecting her. He was a brilliant brother. He was of Mexican descent and it showed: His skin and eyes were average for a Mexican but he also had naturally quirked eyebrows, an upturned nose, a mischievous smile and glint in his eyes and elf-like ears. So, all in all, he looked like one of Santa's elves from the Mexican department

The two got plenty of mean and racist comments thrown in between them and they hurt. But they didn't let it show.

Piper quickly got changed before Leo returned.

"Man, the dream I had was really weird!" Leo repeated and Piper nodded.

"Mine was too, I remember you punching the Mud Giant person and... This blonde guy... And a battle. That's it." Piper felt her cheeks heat slightly and a pang of guilt hit her at the mention of the blonde guy.

She and Leo discussed their dreams as the grabbed their school bags and went out of their apartment, Piper using her key to lock since her dad was still at work. They stopped by a little shop and went in. They had forgotten some money to buy drinks and could only afford two sandwiches.

Leo waited outside for Piper and when she walked out the shop and gave him his sandwich, she handed him a bottle of Coca-Cola, looking only a tad bit guilty. He sighed.

"Piper!" He scolded. "What have I told you about... that?" he looked at the bottle and knew she wouldn't take it back.

It was true: Piper was a Kleptomaniac. She only started at age nine with a few small things. Just to get some attention of her growing-distant dad. It never worked and she knew it. But she became addicted to the rush and found that getting attention off the shop keepers was more valuble than getting nothing off he dad. Both of them suffer from ADHD and Dyslexia.

"Sorry..." She mumbled and Leo gave her arm a reassuring squeeze as they walked to school, discussing why and how they shared a dream.

* * *

Bianca and Nico di Angelo woke up startled. Nico had crawled into Bianca's bed and jumped as he woke.

Bianca couldn't really remember her dream... But... She thought she had-

Nico, her eight year-old brother, clung to her ten year-old form, shaking. "Yo-you died Bianca! Please, never die! My dream was horrid!" He blubbered on and on about how much he loved her and would never let her die... unless she ruined his favourite game 'Mythomagic'.

He was blubbering about little things about his dream: So sad, alone, Roman sister and the nineteen-forties.

Bianca was smarter than her ADHD and Dyslexic state would make people assume-so was Nico. So hearing the vague snippets of his dream helped her figure something out. "I think our dreams were connected somehow... Must be a sibling thing." Bianca decided.

Nico shook his head. "No! That's twins, silly!"

Bianca smiled and ruffled his hair. "Well, we have been through more than most twins, so I think we can are an exception to the rule." Bianca offered as an explanation and Nico accepted this to be true.

They had been through a lot together. They had lived normal lives with their mother and father. But now, as they snuggled together in the dark bedroom they shared in their New York orphanage, they remembered how much that loathed their father. He had left them here when they were three and two because he was too scared to raise two kids by himself after the death of his wife.

They hated to dwell on that topic so left it alone. Then were knocked back into reality as a violent knock came at their door, making it shake.

"Kids, time for school!" A gruff and very un-sober voice called.

Nico looked at Bianca with wide and scared eyes like a puppy. She kissed his forehead and they got out of bed.

* * *

Clarisse la Rue woke to soft knocking on her door.

"Honey, you need to get ready." Her mother walked in and Clarisse saw the bruise on her mothers' cheek and clenched her fists. Her father had done it. She knew it.

How? He did the same to her. Her father abused her and her mother. He was a twisted man. He hated Clarisse and her mother because he wanted a son not a daughter.

Clarisse had dubbed him with the Henry VIII complex.

He got drunk and hit them.

He sobered up and hit them.

It never made a difference and there was no such thing as a good mood for Ares la Rue.

All Clarisse could do was take in strong silence and let her mother, Clarissa who was a nurse, hide and heal their wounds.

Clarisse felt her cheeks which were burning slightly. She had had a boyfriend in her dream. Someone had wanted her, she had a few friends and siblings and... That was all she remembered.

"So real..." she mumbled softly.

She brushed her long dirty blonde hair and dressed her strong but small fifteen year-old body shape. She remembered she had dreamt herself big and strong, scared of nothing. She had dreamt complete fantasy. She was pathetic for doing so.

She ate breakfast and saw her dad was absent.

"Where is he?" She asked.

"Well... I dissolved a few sleeping tablets in his beer, he'll be out for a while." Clarissa admitted, looking almost guilty but not sounding it.

Clarisse smirked and laughed a bit. She finished her food in silence and walked to school. One the way she passed an empty part of the woods in the park... At least it used to be empty. Today there was a camp set up in it that was so beautiful and colourful.

Clarisse shook her head and continued to walk to school.

* * *

Chris Rodriguez was woken by his mother. She had light brown skin and long ebony hair. She was beautiful. But Clover Rodriguez wasn't a normal Mexican and not just because she had bright blue eyes and an Irish accent. Her mother was a Mexican stow-a-way on a boat to Ireland to escape an arranged marriage. There she met Martin O'Reilly, an Irish gypsy, and they fell in love. When they died, Chris's mother kept her mother's Mexican last name.

She was also a gypsy, which is why Chris woke up in a tent in a park in Phoenix, he was one too.

But he wasn't concentrating on that right now. He was thinking about his dream. He had a girlfriend... She was pretty... Although the details seemed blurry now. He knew she had been.

He had helped defeat terribly monsters and had also tried to help those monsters at some point, but had been forgiven.

That was all he could remember and was so sad it had finished.

"Mornin' mum," he said and took the bowl of cereal she offered him. "Fwankshs." He said with food in his mouth and although his mother was a free spirit. Manners were important to her. Not everything, but important.

"Swallow then talk sweetie," she said with a fixed look that said 'or else I will choke you with a dream catcher'. And that is a scary threat coming from her. "Anyways you should get ready! It is your first day at school here! Aren't you excited? Nervous?" She asked happily.

Chris shrugged. "Meh, neither, honestly. I have to so many schools..." He trailed off at his mums' guilty look. "No! I love travelling! So much but, I have started so many schools I don't feel excited or nervous. Well on the first day I just want to get a feel for the place and get it over with. Tomorrow I will probably freak if that makes you happy." He said and his mother nodded happily like a child and walked out of the tent so he could get dressed.

He sighed. He probably wasn't going to make any friends, he never did.

He prayed he could be proved wrong for once.

* * *

Ten year-old Reyna Bellona woke quietly, but as if someone had stab her stomach a bazillion times. The only reason she was silent was because she knew little seven year-old Hazel Levesque would be in her bed, not hers.

The two shared a room with two beds, obviously, but Hazel suffered with nightmares, so would usually not bother Reyna in the middle of the night and would just get into bed with Reyna. The two shared a room with each other because her twenty-three year-old college student Hylla Bellona's apartment was only a three bedroom. Hylla had one, Hazel and Reyna shared and ten year-olds Jason Grace and Frank Zhang shared the third. Jason, Frank and Hazel were Reyna's best and most trusted friends.

Hazel was so stiff Reyna knew she was awake but something might have had shaken her. She positioned herself so she could see the youngest girl. "Hey... Are you okay Hazy?" The younger girl loosened and let out a breath.

"Darn... Thought I'd fooled you!" Hazel grumbled childishly and Reyna chuckled. "I have been awake for about three minutes but didn't want to wake you. My dream was odd though. I was so sure it was real life! I was thirteen in my dream an-and I had a boyfriend who was a shape shifter! He was awesome and funny and a great friend but... I can't remember what he looked or sounded like!" Hazel sounded sad, like she had lost a friend. But then she became normal Hazel and grinned "You were there too! Definitely! You were Italian or something though and wore a tuba!" Reyna raised a eyebrow as Hazel scrunched her eyebrows together. "No... That wasn't what it was called... Urm... A tonga? Nope! A... A... Uh..." Hazel began rambling and stopping randomly, not because she was think, but because she was blanking out because of her ADHD. She, Reyna and Jason had it-and Dyslexia. Frank had gotten away with Lactose Intolerance.

Reyna decided to help the poor thing. "A... Toga?" She offered and Hazel smiled and nodded like a bobble head.

"Yeah! That's it!" Hazel thought for a moment. "Jason had one too but... He..."

Reyna gasped as she remembers a part of her dream. "He betrayed it! And us!"

Hazel nodded again. "Yeah! He hurt our feelings! Mean dream Jason was really... Mean!"

Reyna nodded. "I agree, but real Jason would never do that. Just remember that."

Hazel opened her mouth but was beaten to the punch by a older and deeper voice, saying: "I will remember that, Reyna don't worry."

Reyna blushed lightly in embarrassment. "Good to know, Jason, or else you would have to face my fury!" She warned Jason Grace, who was stood at the open bedroom door and was leaning against the door frame, smirking.

"Mine too!" Hazel perked up, trying to sound threatening.

"I promise never to betray you guys, 'specially the Panda." The three laughed.

"Hey!" Another boy's voice shouted. Frank Zhang appeared, clothed in a white button-up shirt, a light purple blazer, grey pants with hints of purple and black shoes. He had a striped tie on with the colours purple, gold and silver on it. Jason, Reyna and Hazel were still in pajamas. "Uh, guys? Y'know it's fifteen past six... School starts at twenty to seven... And it takes twenty minutes to get to school!" He began to sound a little bit frantic and flustered.

Hazel and Reyna gasped. They had a perfect attendance record! It meant so much to them.

"We need to get ready!" Reyna exclaimed, and then halted. "Why aren't you in a rush?" She questioned slowly.

"I am free spirit so I cannot be... Rushed... Keep the peace girl-maaan..." Jason impersonated a hippy, giving a peace sign.

Reyna didn't smile. "No, Jason, I meant why aren't in a rush to shut the door. I am about to get changed, you idiot." She frowned and Hazel and Frank grinned and snickered.

Jason on the other hand froze and went bright red. Then he said something extremely intelligent. "Uh-dah-oh-gah." And when he finally found out how to make actual words he apologised. "Sorry! Did not mean it that way, Reyna! Sorry!" and slammed the door shut.

Frank howled like a hyena. Hazel continued to giggle and snicker whilst Reyna cracked a smile and winked at Hazel.

"C'mon Hazy, let's get ready." Reyna said.

As the four jogged to the school, Jupiter Private, which was a private school, which was situated in their home city, San Francisco, Jason spoke up. "You and Hazel were talking about you dreams this morning can you tell Frank and I about them?" He asked as they all slowed to a walk, only a few minutes from school and they would be seven minutes early at this rate so weren't worried.

"Sure," Reyna said as her and Hazel straightened their grey-purple pleated skirts that came to just under the middle of their thigh. They had long light silver socks on that went just under their knees, crisp white shirts, purple blazer and a purple, silver and gold-striped bow instead of a tie. Reyna explained their dreams to the boys and by the end they looked a tiny bit shocked.

"That is too weird!" Frank exclaimed. "Jason and I had the same dream... except the part about having a boyfriend. Which," he looked at Hazel, "you are way too young for." Hazel blushed and regretted mentioning that part.

"That is odd; I wonder how we managed to have a connected dream?" Reyna said, curious.

"Maybe it's a sign." Jason said and Reyna was about tell him to stop being silly when she saw he serious. "I mean it. Having a shared dream can't be a coincidence, I don't believe in them."

"Guess you have a point," Frank said as they entered the school building. "I agree with ya... Maybe we can talk to Hylla about it tonight." Everyone agreed and they talked about it for a bit longer when the bell rang.

"Time to go our separate ways," Jason said dramatically, earning a playful slap over head from Reyna. Reyna and Jason had the same classes because they were of the same ability even with ADHD and Dyslexia. Frank didn't suffer from either so he was in a higher class and Hazel was seven so she was in younger classes, obviously, but was in the lower classes because of ADHD and Dyslexia.

"See you at break Panda and Hazy!" Jason and Reyna called as Frank and Hazel went one and they went the other.

"See ya Sparky and Amazon!" They called back.

Jason laughed as they walked to Maths.

No, their lives weren't the best. But the made the best of their situation and loved it.

But they were still curious; all twenty one of them wondered how they had such vivid and real dreams that were forgotten so easily.

They had felt important.

They had been respected.

They had been popular.

Their flaws saved them.

But that was their dream. They weren't important. Their flaws weakened them. They weren't popular.

They thought they weren't special.

That nobody understood them.

That they could never meet anybody that did.

And they knew they were awake; this was reality, whether they liked it or not.


	2. Percy and Grover

_**A/N: Hey guys, sorry for not updating for a while, but basically, what will happen now is the chapters will go in a specific order, showing the groups lives. It won't be boring I promise and I hope this isn't either.**_

_**Also, thanks for those favourites and reviews, it means a lot!**_

_**~Ciara**_

* * *

_**Percy and Grover**_

**Percy's P.O.V**

It was my last day here at Yancy Academy-my friend Grover's too. We had just been caught together at the worst times and pushing Nancy Bobofit into the fountain at the museum had been the final straw, now the teachers said enough was enough and we were being forced to '_pursue getting an education at a school at a school more tailored to us_' as my head teacher had put it.

I, admittedly, felt horrid about it, for the reason that it was _me_ that had gotten Grover kicked out. He would come looking for me, reach me just as the teachers made an appearance, then try and cover for me and end up taking part of the responsibility for my own-read that, _my_, as in singular, _no one else_- actions. Grover was just too good at heart for _his_ own good. It was one of the reasons he was my best friend; he was kind and optimistic, you couldn't find someone better to be friends with. Unfortunately, high spirits and optimism don't get you good grades by themselves, and so my best friend, who is two years my elder than my twelve year old self, has been held back in sixth grade for two years. It wasn't fair, someone like him deserves the top grades, but the world doesn't work like that, now does it?

To make it worse, it was obvious he had been held behind. He looked like typical fourteen year old, kind of lanky, but showing his form was still developing, stubble on his chin, blackheads and acne. He had quite lanky legs, although he also had some condition with his legs that basically meant he had a lifelong excuse to get out of P.E, even though he had to use crutches permanently as well; this also meant his arms were quite muscular from the pressure he continuously had to put on them. So, as you can imagine, he was a bit miss-match: the body of a Lego man, arms of Action Man and the-presumed-brain of Barbie and the fashion sense of Bob Marley. He actually had had a girlfriend for a few weeks, but she dumped him, saying she couldn't deal with-and I quote- "_What an environ-freak_" he was. Oh, yeah, Grover is an environmentalist, if something has to do with the environment, he is all over it and is part of the Green Club at school or, to be exact, he _was_.

I shake my head. This is my last History lesson and I _will_ pay attention. I shake my head slightly and listen to Mr Chiron Brunner telling us the differences between two time periods or something.

"… And so, now we come to gods, with a lower case 'g', of course." He clarifies for us. "When the Romans adapted to the Greeks gods, they made them more disciplined…" I want to hear what he is saying but my hearing begins to buzz and something clicks in my head.

_Romans and Greeks… Romans and Greeks… Romans and… My dream!_ I think and finally realise why it clicked. _Mine and Grover's dream had something to do with Romans and Greeks!_ It isn't really understandable as to why such vague information makes me feel more satisfied; it was just a dream… But what was it about?

Why do I give a damn?

I roll my eyes and begin to concentrate.

"Okay, kids, because today is our last day and this is the last lesson, just write down the first three paragraphs on page three hundred and sixty-two, okay? They're not that big so you will have twenty minutes to do as you please." He smiles at the class. "Maybe I'll even let you out early." He taps his nose and wheels himself to his desk.

You see, My Brunner got into an accident when he was in his twenties; I'm not sure what kind of accident exactly though, and now he is permanently in a wheelchair but he isn't any different from any other abled-bodied teacher. If anything, he's _better_. Yancy Academy is a boarding school for kids with issues and parents with money to spare, so the kids are far from respectful, me included, minus the parents with money to spare. But Mr Brunner had an affect were he had us _listening_. We were still far from perfect but in our terms, we were pretty close. He was calm, but strict, childish and joking a times and a natural-born leader at others. He was Yin and Yan in human form and he got the best result from us.

He saw I had both my textbook and exercise book closed and no equipment out, frowned, and began wheeling himself to me. He stopped and looked at me, concerned. "Is there something wrong Percy? Why aren't you doing the work?"

"You tell me. It's not like it'll do me any good writing this crap down anyway!" I spit back in a somewhat hushed voice, and immediately feel rotten after taking my anger out on him, but he is able to understand how I feel somehow.

"Ah, yes," he nods, his expression not giving away much but his eyes look sad, "your expulsion. I heard; it's a very unfortunate thing, you were one of my best pupils." He admits and I feel shocked.

"What?" I ask, baffled. "How can _I_, the dyslexic who can barely pay attention for more than three minutes at best, one of the least normal people out there, be one of you best student?" I raise an eyebrow, expecting him to sigh in defeat and tell me what is true, not lie to me. I can take it!

Mr Brunner just smiles at me. "Ah, but Percy, you seem to forget that academic ability only makes _half_ a good pupil. The other half is made up of that pupil having the determination and wanting to do good and please not just the teacher, but the pupil; and that's the part that matters most." I return his smile, feeling better at his words. I am glad he knew that I really _did _try for this class. He continues. "And you did that _especially_, regardless of your problems." I don't know how I feel about that phrasing, but I let it go. Now the others in the class have turned to watch our conversation. "Anyways, Perseus Jackson, normality means nothing in school and you are far from normal. You're not normal, but that makes you- _you_ and that makes you uni-" I cut him off by standing up in a split second, knocking my chair over. "Percy?"

I feel my face burning with embarrassment and anger as I bend down and aggressively snatch my bag from under my desk. I sling it over my shoulder, then turn and glare at Mr Brunner. "_Gee, thanks_" I seethe. "I just love hearing how _not normal_ I am, sir, it _really_ makes my day!" I give him a fake smile and storm out of the classroom, ignoring the whispers and snickers and Mr Brunner calling out for me to come back, realising what he had said too late, as I slam the door loudly, the sound resonating through-out the large empty corridor.

Finally, I ignore how some of the tears stinging my eyes escape my eyes and fall down my cheeks as I make a beeline to mine and Grover's room.

A few minutes later, whilst I am led on my bed, Grover hobbles in, his face red. I sit up and face.

"I can't believe Mr Brunner did that!" He said, being a good friend and skipping over the whole '_are you okay?_' stuff, looking shocked and panting slightly. My shoulders slump visibly.

"I know right?!" I complain. "I thought he was the _one _gods damned teacher that didn't see that way!"

Grover shoots me a quick look of sympathy and tries a grin. "Well, good news! The coaches are getting here early, so we can go out and wait now so we can get out of here as fast as possible, if you want." I slowly begin to smile. I stand up and walk out the room. Grover, who had his luggage delivered to his home this morning to make it easier for him, slipped the delivery guy some extra cash to deliver my stuff, except my backpack, walks to me and shuts the door.

A few people make fun of us as we wait for our coach in the boiling heat. The weather has been weird recently. It was in winter and yet the weather was like this? It made no sense. The news said it was global but I am not complaining, New York winters are brutal.

Finally our bus arrived and we got on. It was silent but in a comfortable way as only Grover, about four more kids and I lived in the Manhattan area from Yancy Academy.

* * *

When it came to mine and Grover's stop, I put my New York Yankees cap on, my eyes finding the shade blissful.

"I'll pay for the taxi to yours, it's no biggie," Grover told me as I counted up to twenty-nine dollars in my hand then shoved it in my pocket again quickly.

"Nah, it's alright, I will pay what the ride to my apartment costs, and you can pay what you have to, that okay?" Grover nodded, however reluctant.

"Okay that sounds good." He agreed, expertly dodging ignorant New Yorkers as we walked down the crowded street. I didn't mind it; I actually found it calming to be in such a claustrophobic environment. It was my home and I loved it for all its faults.

"Good to kno-woah!" I am knocked to the ground by someone running into me at an impressive speed.

"Oh my God!" They say-wait, no, _she _says. Oh that's embarrassing; a girl decked me without _trying_. "I wasn't looking where I was going and I am in a rush."

She stood up and held out her hand for me and, when I took it, she helped my back on to my feet. "Tha-" I feel my words hitch in my throat when I look at her. She is smiling shyly and her tanned cheeks are a rosy red which her blonde princess curls highlight. I am taken aback by her eyes more than anything; they're a striking grey that make the girl look like she is always calculating something. So basically, in short, she is _really _cute. And I am a twelve year old boy with limited experience with girls. Really good mix, right? "Thanks." I say finally, blushing slightly. She holds out her other hand, showing objects that fell out of my pockets.

She twirls a lock of hair around her index finger, smiling at me, then her happy expression falls quickly and she looks surprised and taken aback. "Oh!" She gasps. "Urm-ur-uh, sorry! Oh, this is embarrassing!" She flushed a darker red. "I-I best be going now, bye!" And with that she runs off into the crowd, lost forever, probably, not giving me a chance to reply.

I look at Grover, stunned. "What just happened?" I ask. "Was she… Was she _into_ me?" I ask, needing clarification.

Grover laughs and ruffles my hair. "She sure was kiddo! But that's not as important as finding out if she gave you all your money back!" He rolls his eyes and I freeze momentarily. I rummage through my pockets, grab the notes and count them twice hurriedly.

I sigh in relief when I find all twenty-nine dollars still there, but I also notice I have to cover my eyes. I pat my head. My cap's gone. I groan, the girl mustn't have picked it up when it came off.

I sigh. Oh well, it isn't a _major_ loss. But the sun is freaking annoying.

* * *

"Okay, see you 'round Grover!" I smile at him as I get out of the taxi after paying for my half of the ride.

"Same to you, Perce!" He grins and waves to me. My smile fades as I turn around to my apartment building. My home. I walk slowly through the door and choose to go up the stairs, instead of the lift, to pro-long entering my apartment, until I get to my floor. I grab my keys and unlock the door to my apartment and walk in to be hit with the strong and thick odour that is a mix of unwashed dishes, cheap cigarettes, beer and my step-dad: Smelly Gabe. You can call me childish for calling him that, but it's true! He has this _weird _smell that follows him around and it is as far away from pleasant as you get possibly get.

I walk through the living room to go to my room and see Smelly Gabe and his gambling buddies playing poker in the kitchen. Hardly looking up, he said around his cigar, "So, you're home."

"Where's my mum?"

"Working," he grunts. "You got any cash?"

That was it. No '_Welcome back_'. '_Good to see you_'. '_How has your life been the last six months?_'

Gabe has put on weight. He looks like a tusk-less walrus in thrift-store clothes. He had about three hairs on his head, all combed over his bald scalp, as if that made him handsome or something.

He manages the Electronics Mega-Mart in Queens, but he stays home most of the time. I don't know why he hasn't been fired long before. He just keeps on collecting pay checks, spending the money on cigars that made me nauseous, and on beer, of course. Always beer. Whenever I was home, he expected me to provide his gambling funds. He called that our '_guy secret_.' Meaning, if I told my mom, he would punch my lights out.

Yes, Gabe Ugliano was an abusive prat that took pleasure in hitting my mother, Sally Jackson, and I. It didn't change whether he was drunk or sober; he wouldn't have to think twice about it and would clout us happily no matter what.

I was ashamed of myself for never speaking up about it, I grew thinking-no, _knowing_- what I would do if this ever happened to me... But, you never actually know what to do when it happens to you.

"I don't have any cash," I tell him.

He raises a greasy eyebrow.

Gabe can sniff out money like a bloodhound, which is surprising, since his own smell should cover up everything else.

"You took a taxi from the bus station," he says. "Probably paid with a twenty, got six, seven bucks in change. Somebody expects to live under this roof; he ought to carry his own weight. Am I right, Eddie?"

Eddie, the super of the apartment building, looks at me with a twinge of sympathy. I knew he had his suspicions of what Gabe did, but never saw anything nor did he have any proof, so tried to stay ignorant to the fact. "Come on, Gabe," he argues weakly. "The kid just got here."

"Am I right?" Gabe repeats.

I sigh in defeat. "Yep, just two dollars off; you're losin' your game old man." I hang my head as I hand it over. "I hope you lose." He pauses for moment then '_pats_' me on the head three times harshly, although he disguises it with a '_Ya know what children are like_' roll of the eyes and shake of the head and a '_What can ya do?_' grin.

Once he finishes he looks me dead in the eyes, looking colder hearted than ever before and I fight the urge to shiver under his gaze. "Your report card came, brain boy!" He tells me, grinning at my failures. "I wouldn't act so snooty!"

I storm away and slam the door to my room, which really wasn't my room. During school months, it was Gabe's '_study_.' He didn't study anything in there except old car magazines, but he loved shoving my stuff in the closet, leaving his muddy boots on my windowsill, and doing his best to make the place smell like his nasty cologne and cigars and stale beer.

The only difference this year was my suitcases where already in a pile on the floor, so there was one less thing to do.

About fifteen minutes into unpacking and sorting out my room, the door opened slowly and the old floorboards creaked. It was my mum. I whip around, a big childish grin on my face.

She smiles at me sweetly in her _Sweet on America_ uniform. She holds out her hand and shows me a paper bag filled with only blue sweets. Our inside joke. We sat one my bed and talked. My mother can make me feel good just by walking into the room. Her eyes sparkle and change colour in the light. Her smile is as warm as a quilt. She's got a few grey streaks mixed in with her long brown hair, but I never think of her as old. When she looks at me, it's like she's seeing all the good things about me, none of the bad. I've never heard her raise her voice or say an unkind word to anyone, not even me or Gabe.

Her red-white-and-blue Sweet on America uniform smelt like the best things in the world: chocolate, liquorice, and all the other stuff she sold at the candy shop in Grand Central.

After a while, her smile became a bit more secretive and I was intrigued. "What's going on mum?" I ask and she taps her nose.

My mother is the nicest woman in the world. How dare the Fates stick her with Smelly Gabe!

From the other room, Gabe yells, "Hey, Sally-how about some bean dip, huh?" I grit my teeth.

My mother ignores him. She purses her lips. She knew I was holding back, but she didn't push me.

"I have a surprise for you," she said. "We're going to the beach."

My eyes widen. "Montauk?" I ask, slowly beginning to beam.

"Three nights-same cabin."

"When?"

She smiles. "As soon as I get changed." She nods at my suit cases. "So you might want to pack a few things."

I couldn't believe it. My mom and I hadn't been to Montauk the last two summers, because Gabe said there wasn't enough money.

Gabe appears in the doorway and growled, "Bean dip, Sally? Didn't you hear me?" He growls and her eyes twitch, although she stands her ground.

I want to punch him, but I met my mom's eyes and I understood she was offering me a deal: be nice to Gabe for a little while _just_ until she was ready to leave for Montauk. Then we would get out of here.

"I was on my way, honey," she tells Gabe. "We were just talking about the trip."

Gabe's eyes got small. "The trip? You mean you were serious about that?"

"I knew it," I muttered. "He won't let us go."

"Of course he will," my mum says evenly. "Your stepfather is just worried about money. That's all. Besides," she added, "Gabriel won't have to settle for bean dip. I'll make him enough seven-layer dip for the whole weekend. Guacamole. Sour cream. The works."

Gabe softens a bit, which is a rare sight. "So this money for your trip ... it comes out of _your_ clothes budget, right?"

"Yes, honey," my mother tell him, honest.

"And you won't take my car anywhere but there and back."

"We'll be very careful."

Gabe scratches his double chin. "Maybe if you hurry with that seven-layer dip... And maybe if the kid apologises for interrupting my poker game." He glares at me.

_Maybe if I kick you in your soft spot and have you sing Soprano for a week_, I think ruefully, but then I glance at my mum, _no I will be good. For her._

"I apologise for my actions, Gabe, I am so sorry." I say in a slightly sarcastic voice but he doesn't notice.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he grunted and went off back to his _incredibly _important poker game.

My mother and I beamed at each other. _We're going Montauk!_

* * *

**_Annabeth's P.O.V_**

After I ran away from the black haired, green-eyed boy, and go in the direction of where Thalia and Luke are standing, I try and tuck my curls into the Yankees cap but keep failing.

"Here, lemme do it," Thalia says and puts my hair in a bobble and tucks it into the cap and smiles at her handy work. "There, you'll be invisible now, isn't that good?" She smiles at me.

"Did you get anything else?" Luke asks.

"No, sorry." I apologise as we begin walking to our new hideout. "He didn't have much, didn't seem fair, I don't know what he needs it for." They nod in understanding. Us three have a rule to only take off those we know can afford to lose it or have enough on them it doesn't matter what we take. Sure, we can't _always_ follow that rule, but it is in our morale to follow it whenever we can.

"You seemed pretty cutsey over there, y'know?" Luke teases and I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, I am going to fall for a random boy I've never even _seen_ before in my life?" I snort. "Sure, okay then, Luke, you got me!" I laugh and see Thalia and Luke lance at each other, then begin to sing '_Annabeth's in looooove!_' over and over again and I face palm whilst they cackle.

_What the Hades is wrong with them? They're like embarrassing parents! _I think. _But... Maybe I lied to them... That boy actually _did _look familiar... Oh what am I talking about! We live in New York, your bound to see someone more than once a few times, it's no big deal... __I think._


End file.
